


between us

by neobionic



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: -Ish, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Bi-Curiosity, Gay Chicken, M/M, Practice Kissing, just guys being bros
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2019-04-19
Packaged: 2019-09-29 22:12:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17211779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neobionic/pseuds/neobionic
Summary: if someone had told him this morning that he’d be frenching his best friend the same night he’d have laughed into their face, but here they are.





	1. Chapter 1

“i know that she’s blue and all,” jaehyun says, apropos of nothing, “but widowmaker is hot.” it’s a tuesday evening and they’re sitting on the floor in sicheng’s room, drinking beer and taking turns on the xbox.

“uh-huh,” sicheng says absently. he’s in the middle of a one-on-one, thumbs working fast on the controller. “she’s also made of pixels.”

“like that has ever stopped anyone.” jaehyun takes a sip from his can. “if you had to pick one, who would it be?”

“pick one for what?”

jaehyun shrugs. “virtual cyber-fucking?”

“d.va, of course,” sicheng says, not taking his eyes off the screen.

jaehyun gives a cackle. “see?”

sicheng grins. “dude, when you start dreaming about animated women it’s probably time to get laid.”

jaehyun sighs. “man, you’re right,” he says, scooting down against the side of the bed. “i haven’t gotten any for weeks.”

sicheng scoffs. “i haven’t gotten any for months.”

“that’s because you never go out,” jaehyun says. “you can’t complain when you don’t even try.”

sicheng snorts. “you mean you try, but fail?”

jaehyun ignores him. “you’ll have to wait a long time before a grilled chicken flies into your mouth, you know? or in your case, before a hot girl walks into your room.”

sicheng giggles and jams an elbow into his upper arm. jaehyun winces and rubs at the spot. sicheng keeps playing, but he notices jaehyun still looking at him from the corner of his eye.

“wanna come out with us this weekend?” jaehyun asks. “we can wingman you.”

sicheng makes a face. “i don’t like clubs much.”

“a bar, then.”

“nah, i dunno.”

“noraebang?”

“you know i can’t sing for shit.”

“then do you have any suggestions?”

sicheng sighs. “forget i said anything, okay? it’s not important.”

jaehyun turns his attention back to the game and is quiet for a minute. then all of a sudden he sits up, looking around, and then reaches for sicheng’s phone lying on the bed.

“your code is 3399 right?”

“what are you doing?” sicheng asks, immediately suspicious.

jaehyun doesn’t say anything, thumb just moving swiftly over the screen. sicheng leans over to peek but jaehyun turns away, pulling his knees up like a shield.

“jaehyun, seriously.”

“just checking your matches,” jaehyun says, not looking up. “i can help you swipe. chat someone up.”

“dude, don’t even--” sicheng starts. he reaches his right hand out, fumbling to retrieve the phone while keeping his eyes on the screen so he’s not snuck up on and killed. jaehyun, not having to multitask, easily evades him and pushes his hand away. finally sicheng gives up, dropping the controller to lunge at jaehyun and wrestle him down. jaehyun laughs underneath him and lets sicheng pull the phone from his hands.

“chill, i wouldn’t do anything stupid,” he says. “don’t you trust me?”

“no,” sicheng says, but when he sees jaehyun’s grin and messy hair he remembers he can’t be mad at him. like, ever. he doesn’t let jaehyun get up, though, instead straddling his stomach and making a show out of changing his lock code.

“it’s not dangerous, you know,” jaehyun says, tucking his hands behind his head. “talking to girls. they don’t bite.”

sicheng gives him a glare. this is jung jaehyun, the guy whose advice for making friends is to ‘just talk to people’. sicheng doesn’t expect him to understand. “i know that.”

“then what are you scared of?”

“i’m not scared.”

“really? seems like it’s something. i know you’re shy but girls like you. you’re cute, you’ve got a nice body, a decent-sized dick. you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

the compliments make sicheng’s ears heat up. “why do you care, anyway?”

“i care about you,” jaehyun says, looking slightly offended. “is it that weird to want your bros to be happy? plus, if you get it on once in a while maybe i won’t have to wait so long for the shower.”

sicheng snarls and boxes him in the chest. jaehyun gives a dramatic _ooph_ and curls up, arms crossed over himself. sicheng immediately grins again. he finally climbs off, taking a seat on the carpet, knees pulled up to his chest.

“i don’t know,” he starts. “i’m not good at it. talking, or… any part of it.”

jaehyun leans up on his elbows, looking at him. “you mean… the sex part?”

“i mean more like… getting there?” sicheng’s hand comes up to scratch at his head. “when i get nervous it gets awkward and i don’t know what to do.”

jaehyun hums. “so, like. flirting?”

sicheng shrugs. “yeah, that. and, kissing, and stuff.”

jaehyun sits up and crosses his legs. “look, i’m no expert or anything,” he says, giving a conceding nod when sicheng mumbles _no you sure aren’t_ , “but wouldn’t it get easier with time? practice makes perfect, and all. maybe you just need to get out there and do it.”

sicheng groans.

jaehyun shrugs. “or you could practice on me.”

sicheng raises a brow. “how?”

“pretend i’m a girl, try to pick me up.”

“dude. that’s super weird.”

jaehyun laughs. “pretend i’m some guy then, if that’s easier.”

“is that supposed to be less weird?” sicheng grimaces. “i’m not gay.”

jaehyun rolls his eyes. “i know that. but the gist of it is the same, right? i’m someone at a bar, you come up to me, talk to me, come on to me.”

sicheng only looks at him with narrowed eyes, and it makes jaehyun laugh again.

“dude, it’s just the two of us here. nobody can see you. just give it a shot. what’s the harm?”

sicheng hesitates, but then shrugs okay. they shift their positions (the bed serving as bar) and so the little roleplay begins. at first sicheng repeatedly dissolves into giggles, making jaehyun slap him on the shoulder until he regains his composure. but once they get into it and the most intense awkwardness starts to settle sicheng has to admit that it's actually kind of useful. jaehyun breaks character now and then to give him tips and pointers and compliments when he does something good. when sicheng has bought his “date” an imaginary drink, made a few moves and gotten them to a secluded area, he falters.

“now what,” sicheng asks.

jaehyun bites on his lip, then says; “we can continue, if you want.”

“what do you mean?”

“you said you’re... nervous about kissing.”

sicheng’s ears get warm again. “you mean you and me?”

jaehyun nods. “why not?” he asks. “i could use some practice myself. to, uh, you know, keep my skills up to date.”

“i’m not gay,” sicheng says again. 

jaehyun grins with one half of his mouth. “dude, me neither. it's just a kiss. no big deal.”

sicheng licks his lips. 

“but hey, we don't have to. if you're chicken.” a tentative smirk appears on jaehyun’s face. it makes something rise inside of sicheng. 

“i’m not chicken.” 

“i mean, it's okay if you are.” that smirk grows. 

“are you?” sicheng retorts. 

jaehyun laughs. “why would i be? i suggested it.”

“fine,” sicheng bites. “let's do it.” he shifts over to his knees, facing jaehyun. 

“wait, seriously?” jaehyun asks. his face is still amused, but with a hint of surprise mixed in. 

“yeah,” sicheng says. “like you said, you're the one who brought it up. don't back out now.”

“dude, you don't…” jaehyun starts, but trails off. “are you sure?”

“yeah, whatever. take your chance before i change my mind.”

“you little--” jaehyun says, but now his grin is back. “we're doing this for you, remember?”

“yeah, right.”

“shut up,” jaehyun says. he also moves to his knees, sitting in front of sicheng. “let’s just get it over with.”

jaehyun’s face is less than a meter away. looking at it like this (looking at his mouth like this) makes a ball of nerves appear in sicheng’s belly. he listens for sounds out in the apartment, wondering if yukhei is back from the gym yet and might come barging in.

if he had to be honest, sicheng might have thought about kissing jaehyun once or twice. just in passing, the way the mind plays with random thoughts. jaehyun’s upper lip is thin, making his philtrum look weirdly long, but the bottom one is full and nicely shaped, sticking out in a pout every now and then.

he realizes he might have been staring when the lips split in a smirk again. sicheng quickly moves his gaze elsewhere.

“are we doing this or not?” jaehyun asks.

“yeah,” sicheng says. he inches a little closer. his knees knock against jaehyun’s. “i guess we are.”

“like, today?” jaehyun asks when nothing else happens. sicheng snorts and slaps him on the arm. 

“i’ll do it,” sicheng says, but isn’t sure if he will. he’s looking at jaehyun’s mouth again. “for real. this is your last chance to back out.”

“then what are you waiting for, you nerd.”

sicheng inhales. he dives in and gives jaehyun a quick peck on the lips. then he sits back, half hoping that’s the end of it.

jaehyun scoffs at him. “what are you, twelve? that’s not a kiss.”

sicheng purses his lips. he leans forward and does it again, staying a little longer this time. their mouths sit stiff and awkward against each other. sicheng’s brain has time to register the softness of jaehyun’s cheek against the tip of his nose before he pulls away.

jaehyun chuckles at him. “no wonder you can’t get any if that’s your idea of kissing.”

it takes some willpower for sicheng not to grab the nearest pillow and start whacking jaehyun with it.

“you do it, then,” he snarls, before he has time to think about the implications of it. “show me _how it’s done_.”

jaehyun’s grin grows. “okay,” he says. he puts one of his knees between sicheng’s so he can scoot a bit closer. sicheng’s eyes widen. jaehyun’s hands come up to his neck, thumbs light on his jawline. “here goes.”

sicheng swallows thickly. yet, nothing _goes_ right away. jaehyun’s face approaches painfully slowly and sicheng half wishes he’d just get to it already because he has his eyes open and avoiding each other’s eyes like this is awkward as hell but closing them would be even more embarrassing.

then jaehyun’s nose brushes against his, sicheng’s eyelids drop all on their own, he feels jaehyun’s breath on his face and then it’s happening.

it’s definitely weird, more so than sicheng’s attempts because jaehyun is actually moving his lips, but not weird enough for sicheng to pull away. dry pecks bloom to small nipping kisses and when he’s past the initial surprise sicheng fumbles to keep up. he’s not gonna let jaehyun win this one.

jaehyun pauses to flash a grin at him, barely letting sicheng catch his breath before he tilts his head the other way and is back on him. his lips are smooth against sicheng’s chapped ones. his bottom lip is soft, even softer than it looks, like a fleshy marshmallow pliantly budging at the lightest touch of sicheng’s mouth. 

jaehyun takes it slow but doesn’t hold back. before long they’ve found a rhythm and the thought _how the hell did he get so good at this_ passes through sicheng’s head. jaehyun kisses him For Real, more so than the bony dancer girls back in high school or the drunk club chicks ever did. 

sicheng’s hands have been sitting limp in his lap but increasingly feel the need to do something. one of them twitches, darting out and finding jaehyun’s knee. from there, jumping to jaehyun’s elbow, before finally gripping onto his hoodie.

jaehyun rises a little on his knees, making him tower over sicheng and sicheng tilt his head back to meet him. jaehyun brushes his thumb over sicheng’s throat and adds a light sweep of tongue and _oh_ \-- sicheng doesn’t mind. doesn’t mind at all.

 _what the fuck,_ he thinks distantly. his mind is too busy reeling to be weirded out by how not-weird this feels. if someone had told him this morning that he’d be frenching his best friend the same night he’d have laughed into their face, but here they are. his fingers tighten around the fabric of jaehyun’s sweater. 

then one of them (sicheng isn’t even sure who) makes a noise; just a low, soft groan, like a voiced sigh - and it seems to break something.

jaehyun stills. he sits back, hand coming up to wipe over his mouth, eyes empty and unfocused. it only lasts a split second before he snaps out of it.

“i, uh,” he mumbles, looking down. he clumsily gets to his feet. “gotta...” he’s out of the room in four quick steps, not giving sicheng a glance.

sicheng turn his head to look at the door falling shut to silence. his legs give out under him and he slumps back on his ass. the game has reverted to the start page, his opponent apparently disconnected. his lips feel warm and tender, saliva starting to dry. he licks them and swallows.


	2. Chapter 2

it’s inevitably awkward after that night but it’s hard to not run into someone you live with. you need to be in the kitchen, and the bathroom, and you need to hold normal conversations with yukhei so he doesn’t get suspicious. 

they avoid eye contact for a week or two and then things start getting back to normal. sicheng isn’t gonna bring it up, and when it becomes clear that jaehyun isn’t going to do it either sicheng puts the whole thing in the back of his mind. a random one-off, stuff that happens between dudes, he figures.

it visits his mind once or twice when he jerks off, ( _soft bottom lip, cool hands on his neck, the taste of beer,_ ) but whatever. he has beaten it to weirder things.

he has almost (almost) forgotten about the whole thing when, one night as they’re hanging out, jaehyun asks him a question.

“how many girls have you been with?”

sicheng gives him a guarded glance. they’re slouched on the sofa in the living room, sound on the tv turned down as the movie broke for commercials.

“i’ve already told you about everyone i’ve banged.” they’ve been friends since freshman year of college, and what are bros for if not audience for the accounts of your sexual escapades.

“yeah, but still. give me a number.”

sicheng sighs, letting his head drop back. “what are we talking here? third base? all the way?”

jaehyun hums thoughtfully. “second base. making out or more.”

sicheng shoots him a look, brows raised, but doesn’t comment. he takes a minute to think, mouthing silently and counting on his fingers. “thirteen?” he says finally. “fourteen? give or take.”

“huh,” jaehyun says. “not bad.” 

sicheng frowns, extending his leg to jab his toes into jaehyun’s thigh. “just because i’m not some prince charming like you doesn’t mean i’m totally inexperienced.”

jaehyun laughs, pulling his knee up to protect himself from sicheng’s foot. “prince charming?”

sicheng turns back to the tv. “whatever.”

“okay, i’m sorry,” jaehyun says, still grinning. “tell me about them.”

sicheng glances at him again. “the girls?”

“yeah.”

“all of them?”

jaehyun nods.

“why?”

jaehyun lifts his shoulder in a shrug. “i’m just curious.”

sicheng scratches at his head. “okay. first, i guess, yiyang? she was in my class. she was pretty. she had long hair. she-- i don’t know, it was a couple of years ago.”

“no, i mean…” jaehyun interrupts him. he moves his hand in a vague gesture that fails to aid him. “not about _them_. what happened with them.”

“oh,” sicheng says. “okay.”

he shifts down into the cushions and starts listing. a couple of occasions in high school - only above-the-clothes stuff. his first time, his second. the girlfriend he had for a couple of months, jieqiong, but of course she still only counts as one. the time he got a handjob in a club bathroom, walls covered in scribbled numbers and sharpie graffiti. that girl from dance club camp. the time a classmate invited him over for what he thought was only supposed to be a study session (she never contacted him again afterwards).

the movie is back on but jaehyun doesn’t seem to care. he listens in silence, eyes on sicheng’s face, sometimes looking serious, sometimes smiling. when he asks for clarification or more details or what happened next, sicheng tells him.

when he’s done and jaehyun seems satisfied they fall silent. sicheng wonders if he should ask jaehyun to tell his stories in return, but he’s not sure he wants to hear them.

they finish the movie without much talking.

but later, when sicheng’s lying in bed, about to sleep, he can’t stop thinking about jaehyun and his list of conquests. he knows some of them by name and face, so it’s embarrassingly hard to keep images from painting themselves in his mind; flashes of scenes, complete with audio. jaehyun’s mouth, jaehyun’s hands on tits and hips, naked skin, moving bodies. jaehyun’s voice, making deep and heavy noises.

his dick twitches and swells. sicheng resists it for a while, then brings his hand down to rub at it. 

he jerks himself off into his underwear. when it’s over he stumbles out of bed, grimacing at the sticky feeling against his skin. he pulls his shorts off and wipes himself clean with the fabric before dropping them in his hamper, changing into a new pair before climbing back into bed. he flops onto his stomach, buries his face in the pillow and forces himself not to dwell on it.


	3. Chapter 3

the living room is full of people, the air dark and warm and thick with sweat and perfume. a cheap strobe light whirls shifting, colorful dots in spirals and circles over the ceiling and walls. the large speakers boom out a custom party playlist, bass heavy enough to make your sternum vibrate.

ten and his housemates are throwing a saturday night bash and as usual it’s a wild, boozy affair. sicheng snakes through the room, trying to find gaps between moving limbs and bodies. the worn and unmatching furniture, picked up at thrift shops or curbs, have been pushed up to the walls to make space in the middle.

ten and mark are having some unofficial dance-off in the center of the floor. yukhei is sitting in one of the arm chairs in the corner, getting familiar with a girl on his lap. hendery is giggling to himself over a can of soda, probably provided by some wise person who decided he’s had enough for one night.

a blob of glowing pink catches sicheng’s eye, travelling down the naked arm of a girl dancing close with her friend. his gaze lingers on the flashes of soft skin before he catches himself and manages to make it out into the hallway. he hasn’t had that much to drink (yet), but still his head spins a little.

passing the kitchen, he spots dejun with a tall glass of red wine in hand, seemingly engaged in a serious discussion with a handful of people sicheng doesn’t recognize. knowing dejun, probably debating the development of contemporary spoken word poetry or something.

the door to the bathroom is locked. sicheng sighs, leaning back against the wall and hoping nobody’s getting busy in there. maybe he should go upstairs instead. but only half a minute later a girl comes out, lips thick with freshly-applied gloss. she gives him a little smile before disappearing.

sicheng is in the process of shutting the door after himself when someone suddenly pulls at it from the other side, jerking the handle from his grip. he spins around to find jaehyun in his face, grin wide and hair unruly.

“you didn’t hear me?” he says, continuing the motion forward and making sicheng step back to let him in.

“huh?” sicheng says. “no.”

“i called after you.” 

the bathroom isn’t big, but has enough floorspace for the both of them. jaehyun flicks the lock around and squeezes past him up to the sink.

“i was gonna piss,” sicheng says.

jaehyun’s leaned over towards the mirror, arranging strands of his hair. “go ahead.”

sicheng mutters but flips the toilet seat up and unzips. sometimes his bladder can be shy, but it’s full enough that emptying itself is a priority. his stream makes a trickling sound hitting the wall of the bowl, lifting a faint smell of urine to sicheng’s face.

suddenly he notices jaehyun glancing at him, something tugging at the side of his mouth.

“dude, she’s been checking you out all evening.”

sicheng feels a rush of blood rise to his ears. “who?” he asks, even though he’s pretty sure who.

“song yuqi.”

sicheng stares down into the toilet. “huh,” he says, but apparently it’s telling enough. 

jaehyun lets out a cackle. “you’ve noticed it too.”

sicheng’s mouth cracks in a grin that he fails to stifle. he tucks himself in and flushes.

“she’s cute,” jaehyun says. he steps back to give sicheng access to the sink. “are you gonna make a move?”

“i dunno,” sicheng says. “maybe.”

“ _maybe?_ you wanted to get laid, didn’t you?” he takes sicheng’s place in front of the toilet, fiddling with his belt.

sicheng slowly rubs his hands under the faucet. “yeah. of course.”

“then what are you waiting for? this is a golden opportunity.” 

sicheng looks over at him, frowning. “you mean hook up with her tonight?” 

jaehyun snorts. “i mean, take the first step. chat her up, ask for her number or something. maybe get to first base.”

jaehyun jiggles his dick to shake off the last drop of pee. sicheng catches himself looking at it. he turns his head away.

the circle again. sicheng waits while jaehyun rinses off his hands. he paws on the guest towel and then puts his hand on sicheng’s shoulder.

“let me know if you need any help, okay?” he says, smile dangerously close to a smirk.

sicheng scowls and shrugs him off. “fuck off.”

 

 

an hour and a number of drinks later sicheng is coming out of the kitchen and runs into - who other than - song yuqi. runs into, quite literally, because he throws the door open and almost walks straight into her.

“shit, i’m sorry,” he throws out when she gives a startled little yelp and jumps back.

“it’s okay, i’m okay!” she hurries to reply, laughing. then her eyes set on him, as if recognizing him. “hey. hi.”

“hi. hi,” he parrots dumbly.

she makes no effort to move past him and continue to wherever she was going. the hallway is deserted; just the two of them, standing there, facing each other.

“we haven’t talked,” she starts. “you’re sicheng, right? friends with yukhei?”

“uh. yeah,” sicheng says. “and you’re yuqi.”

she laughs again. “that’s right. i am.”

her hair is long and wavy, strands of fluffy bangs hanging light around her face. jaehyun’s right. she’s cute.

sicheng feels his pulse starting to behave weirdly, pumping thick in his veins.

“so, uh,” she continues. “having fun tonight?”

“yeah. yeah, i…” sicheng blinks. “i’m sorry, i gotta…” he moves, starting to circle past her, turning around to raise his hands in a vague apologetic gesture. “uh. sorry.”

“oh.” her brows shift up over her eyes, in surprise, or disappointment. “oh. yeah. sure.”

sicheng turns and hurries down the hall, not looking back.

he finds jaehyun by the door leading out to the veranda, chatting with a couple of ten’s friends. sicheng sneaks up behind and hooks a hand around jaehyun’s elbow.

“can i talk to you,” he half mumbles, half shouts over the music.

“what?” jaehyun yells back, but lets himself be pulled through the room and out into the hallway.

“what’s up?” he asks, in normal speaking tone now that they’re a little further away from the speakers. “where are we going?”

sicheng doesn’t reply, only leads him up with stairs, one hand still clasped around jaehyun’s wrist. it seems empty upstairs, save from a couple sitting close together in the snug under the window. if someone’s going at it in one of the bedrooms, they’re having the decency to keep it down.

sicheng tries the door handle to ten’s room, relieved to find it open and unoccupied. jaehyun trails after him and sicheng quickly closes the door, turning his back to it, close enough that it would knock into him if someone were to open it. the room is half dark, lit only by the artsy-looking desk lamp sitting in the window, but sicheng doesn’t fumble for the light switch.

“dude,” jaehyun says, grinning, and sicheng can just make out his brows cocked in confusion. “what’s going on?”

sicheng licks his lips. of course this is where he’ll lose his nerve. but he’s got enough alcohol in his system to push him through it. 

“i, uh,” he starts. how’s he gonna phrase it? fuck, he didn’t think this through. “i think i need. you know. more practice.”

jaehyun looks at him with that same frown for a moment, then his face changes. stiffens. “what do you mean?”

“i mean.” sicheng swallows. “first base.”

for a moment he holds his breath. this is the first time either of them has brought up what happened that time. has he ruined something by saying it? was it something that had to stay buried, or they’ll never be the same?

he half expects jaehyun to laugh, or glare at him, or just walk past him and leave. but jaehyun shifts on his feet, fingers fiddling aimlessly around his pockets. he looks around as if someone might be hiding in a dark corner. “here?” he asks, lowering his voice. “what the fuck, sicheng, it’s full of people downstairs and...”

sicheng inhales deeply. yeah, this is dumb as hell, but it’s too late to back down now.

“what?” he hisses, raising his chin. “are you scared?”

jaehyun lets out a shaky laugh. “it’s not about that.”

“come on.” sicheng takes a tiny step forward. “you said you’d help me if i needed it.”

“i meant, like, starting up a convo or distracting her friends, or…” jaehyun waves a hand around. “y’know, wingman stuff.”

sicheng tightens his mouth. “you didn’t have a problem with it last time.”

jaehyun exhales hard, like a scoff. “fuck off,” he says, but it’s entirely without bite. “that was different.”

sicheng shuffles his feet forward another tiny bit. his heart hammers in his chest. “what if i suck and she hates it and i miss out on my chance to get laid.” jaehyun doesn’t step back. “you can’t do that to a bro.”

“so it's my fault if you don't get any?”

sicheng grins. “yeah.”

“and what are you gonna say if someone walks in?” jaehyun asks, voice barely above a whisper. “that we were _practicing_?”

“don’t worry,” sicheng says airily. he’s vaguely aware of how his brain-to-mouth filter has stopped working and the booze has taken over. “chicks dig seeing two guys together. they think it’s hot.”

that makes jaehyun snort, lips splitting in a grin. he turns his face away, letting the light from behind outline the shape of his mouth and chin and a dimpled cheek, and suddenly sicheng is sure. fuck, he wants to do it again. he wants to be kissed like that again. he wants to feel jaehyun’s tongue again.

“just this once,” he breathes. “i won’t ask again.”

the music filters distant and muted through the floor, the bass pounding faintly under sicheng’s feet. they’re standing barely half a meter apart. sicheng presses his fingers into his damp palms.

finally jaehyun meets his eyes again, mouth still caught in a slanted smile. “fine, you weirdo.” 

sicheng’s stomach makes a weird little somersault. “cool,” he says. “i owe you.” 

“you better get laid after this,” jaehyun replies. his eyes have shifted down to sicheng’s mouth. 

“yeah, sure,” sicheng says absently. he’s staring at jaehyun’s mouth too. “i’ll get laid so hard.”

jaehyun’s face seems to drift closer, though sicheng doesn't notice either of them move. he's close enough now that sicheng can smell the alcohol on his breath, mixed with a hint of onion chips.

the space between them is dark. sicheng’s eyes start closing. he braves the last inches blindly, feeling jaehyun’s presence almost like a sixth sense.

noses brush. lips seek each other, and find.

at first it’s gentle, kisses small and tentative; mapping the territory, reacquainting themselves. soon sicheng finds his hands on jaehyun’s body, and jaehyun’s on his own - roaming, exploring. hips, arms, neck. it’s similar to the first time, but also not; a little clumsier, a little more careful. yet it’s weird how natural it feels, how easily they slot together, fitting together.

before sicheng knows it they’re making out; hot hands and wet, sliding tongues. jaehyun grips his waist, fingers digging into sicheng’s flesh through the fabric of his shirt. he moves forward, pushing sicheng back till he’s up against the door, cushioned by the bathrobe and handful of clothes hanging on it. pressing close; stomach to stomach. 

sicheng stifles a gasp, forcing his breathing back into rhythm. jaehyun’s mouth hasn’t left his, taking kiss after kiss like thirsty sips from a drink.

sicheng lets him, lets him take whatever he wants. he puts arms around jaehyun’s neck and pushes his hips forward experimentally. his zipper presses stiff against his half-hard dick. the contact makes jaehyun groan quietly, lips going limp for a second before starting to move again.

the sound echoes in sicheng’s head, and for a moment all he can think about is getting to hear it again. then jaehyun licks at him and he opens his mouth to meet him.

jaehyun’s hands are still at his sides. suddenly sicheng feels fingers snaking up under his shirt, gliding to the flat curve of his waist. the skin contact is startling enough that sicheng makes a noise; an awkward mix between a moan and a squeak. he clamps his lips shut, hoping nobody happens to be right outside.

jaehyun has paused but his face stays close, lips parted, his beer-scented breath hot and damp on sicheng’s mouth. his hand inches up towards sicheng’s ribs, thumb running light over the side of his stomach. sicheng feels his abs clench, belly sucking in and making his breath hitch.

he moves forward again, needing his lips on something, doesn’t even mind when they land on the side of jaehyun’s chin. jaehyun inhales audibly, turning his face a little. sicheng goes with it, pressing a bunch of messy kisses to his jaw and the top of his neck before finding his way back to his mouth.

then he feels jaehyun’s hands on the hem of his shirt, tugging it upwards. he pulls back a little, searching for sicheng’s eyes as if asking permission.

a distant warning bell goes off in the back of sicheng’s head. making out in ten’s room with a full party going on downstairs? that’s one thing. taking clothes off? that’s another.

but his skin is hot with touch and inebriation, fiery blood pulsing just beneath the surface. his head is swimming, spinning, filled with the presence of jaehyun right in front of him and the morbidly curious urge to just _see what happens--_

sicheng grabs the fabric and pulls it over his head, letting the shirt drop to the floor, already forgotten.

jaehyun has taken a step back. for a long moment he doesn’t move, just stands there, watching him. sicheng can barely see his face, hidden in the shadows. 

how many times hasn’t jaehyun seen him shirtless before? at the gym; at the beach; walking from the bathroom in just a towel. yet sicheng feels naked and vulnerable standing there, skin bared and bathing in the light from the window lamp.

then jaehyun reaches out and brushes his fingers over his chest. slowly they slide, up, to the bony knobs of sicheng’s shoulder, then in, following the line of his clavicle. 

sicheng stays still, doesn’t move. almost like a spell would break if he did.

jaehyun watches his own hand as it travels, tracing the shapes of sicheng’s upper body as if trying to read him like braille. his ribs and his sternum, over the small nub of a nipple, down to the hairs below his navel; following the waistband of his jeans at a safe distance, like a boundary that he’s not going to cross.

a sound in the hallway outside startle them both back to reality. the next moment someone calls jaehyun’s name, and jaehyun pulls back his hand as if he got burnt. sicheng immediately dives down for his shirt, fumbling to get it on, and as soon as he has pulled it over his head jaehyun has stepped past him and disappeared out the door.

sicheng can hear his voice and another, ( _hey man, i’ve been looking for you. oh i was just… what’s up?_ ) fading out down the hall.

then the room is empty and quiet, just a hollow beat thumping from below.

sicheng’s legs feel numb and unsteady beneath him. he stumbles over to sink down on ten’s bed. he sits there. he breathes; in, and out.


End file.
